Arizona among worst in red-light violations

Local and national organizations are pushing to help put an end to a problem that can have catastrophic consequences.

When the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running concludes today, Arizona will still rank either No. 1 or close to the top in the problem, according to Frank Hinds, executive director for the Red Means Stop Coalition.

In Scottsdale alone, between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1, there were 884 violations issued for motorists running red lights, according to information released by police. No crash statistics were immediately available.

Although there have not been any recent state-by-state studies ranking cities on red-light running, Arizona ranked No. 1 in the problem when the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety conducted the last such study in 2001, according to Hinds.

The study revealed Phoenix, Mesa and Tucson were the top three cities in the state, pushing up the statewide average to 7.1 fatalities per 100,000 residents.

That's nearly twice Nevada's rate, the No. 2 state, with 3.9 fatalities per 100,000 residents, Hinds said.

About 7,500 people are injured every year by someone running a red light in Arizona, resulting in about 80 fatalities throughout the state, according to Hinds.

Speed, lack of paying attention and distractions such as talking on the cell phone contribute to red-light running, Hinds said.

"If you're going too fast, you can't stop even if you wanted to," Hinds said.

Targeting younger drivers by speaking in schools, the nonprofit, all-volunteer Red Means Stop Coalition tries to establish good driving habits.

"We're trying to make people realize there are bad consequences when you run a red light," Hinds said. "It's not just, 'Well, I'm going to be late for work, nothing will happen.' Well, bad things will happen. Our message is out there all the time and something we work on day by day."

The problem also hits home with Leslie Blakey, executive director for the Washington, D.C.-based National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running.

As Blakey's 30-year-old son was making a left turn on a green-light arrow signal in July near Dallas, he and his girlfriend were hit by a 21-year-old driver who ran a red light, Blakey said.

Her son was injured, and his girlfriend still is recovering in the hospital with a collapsed lung.

"This is a serious problem that has affected a lot of people," Blakey said. "We are trying to encourage communities around the country to change their driving behavior so they don't hit other people, and they are more conscious of people who may hit them."